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Technical Note No 53

Method statements for the construction of building


envelopes

Method statements are essential for the safe construction of building envelopes that meet the Client’s
performance requirements. This Technical Note describes the process of writing a method statement
and gives guidance on appropriate structure and contents.

Introduction Status and function of a method statement

A method statement describes the way in which A preliminary method statement will often be
the building envelope is to be constructed. It submitted with a tender bid. This sets out how
will be concerned with safety, quality and the Specialist Contractor proposes to undertake
logistics. the building envelope construction. A detailed
method statement has to be produced before
The CWCT Standard for systemised building construction begins.
envelopes requires that a method statement is
prepared, and followed, on each contract The detailed method statement should be
(Clause 7.5.2). It is also a requirement of prepared with the same care and thoroughness
National Building Specification cladding required for specification or design.
sections H11, H13, H42 and H92.
A method statement may be a file of
On a project, each Building Envelope Specialist documents including:
Contractor should produce a method statement
describing the package of work for which they • Safe systems of work,
are responsible. This has to correlate with the • Lifting plans,
method statements of Specialist Contractors • Quality plans.
undertaking adjoining work including the
primary structure and any services that All documents included in the method
penetrate the building envelope. statement should be consistent with each other.
It may be appropriate to include some
The method statement has to be acceptable to information as drawings which should be
the Main Contractor and the Architect may want properly cross-referenced.
a role in reviewing the method statement.
Parts of the detailed method statement may be
The Main Contractor should produce a method included in the project health and safety plan to
statement for the whole project. This will comply with the Construction Design and
comprise the method statements for the Management (CDM) Regulations. There is a
individual work packages, including cladding. legal requirement for a risk assessment of work
procedures to be carried out prior to
The Main Contractor has a responsibility for: commencement of work, and for the outcome
to be communicated to the work force. Safe
• Defining the scope and extent of work in systems of work and lifting plans within a
each package detailed method statement are a good way of
• Assigning responsibility for particular work doing this.
at package interfaces
• Ensuring that the separate method The detailed method statement will also
statements correlate with each other and describe quality procedures to show that the
that taken together they cover all aspects of building envelope is being constructed to the
the work required standards of performance and quality.
• Submitting relevant method statements to
the Architects/Consultants. The terms safety method statement and quality
method statement are sometimes used and on
some contracts separate documents are
prepared. The use of dual method statements
may occur because different individuals in

© CWCT 2009 July 2009


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This document has been printed from the CWCT ‘Cladding Forum’, access to which is restricted to subscribing Members of the
Centre for Window & Cladding Technology. Information about the availability of CWCT publications and membership is
available at our website – www.cwct.co.uk - or from the address at the end of this note.
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